In the rural areas of Nigeria live some of the poorest people in the world, and in 1992, the Wesley Guild decided that it should seek to re-establish the task of supporting primary health care within Nigeria as it had originally done in its early years at Ilesha in 1912. Since then support has grown within the Guild movement, the wider church, Christian Guild Holidays, other organisations and from individuals.

Today we are financially supporting seven hospitals, health centres and clinics, three centres for mentally ill people, one leprosy and rehabilitation centre, a motherless babies home and a community-based orphan care programme.

NHCP is also committed to assist in the training and education of health workers. We support a College of Health Technology, which trains community health workers and we are actively involved in promoting a school of nursing and midwifery.

In the meantime there is much to be done and requests for support in other areas.

Hospitals

Methodist Hospital, Omuo-Ekiti, Ayedun Diocese, Ekiti State

Bishop Abejide with Wray memorial plaque and the Omuo-Ekiti team

Refurbished staff accommodation at Omuo-Ekiti

(Click on a picture to enlarge it.)

The Methodist Maternity and Health Centre was founded in 1961 by the first resident minister, Revd J Banke Orasajo. A few years later the government took over private clinics, which sadly led to closure, and the premises were burnt down in a bush fire. Attempts were made to re-establish the centre in 1987. It struggled for three years until a retired midwife, Chief Mrs Victoria Aregbusi was employed and she rekindled hope and enthusiasm. Victoria remained a stalwart for 14 years.

In 1992 the Centre was the first to be funded by the Nigeria Health Care Project and this involvement coincided with the arrival of midwife Sheila Wray. In the next two years much was achieved and the centre was approved by the state as a hospital.

After Sheila’s departure the hospital struggled, but by perseverance, good local administration and Victoria’s skills, the hospital improved once again.

Coordinator’s Visit 2018

Previous concerns about financial accounting have been resolved. It was good to see more progress on the refurbishment of the hospital with money from the Wray bequest. The very good news is that Methodist Church in Britain has agreed to fund a doctor as a National in Mission Appointment. This should give some stability to Omuo-Ekiti as it rebuilds its services to the local people.

Bethesda Hospital, Ikachi, Oju, Igede Diocese, Benue State

Training participants at Bethesda Hospital March 2018

New air-conditioning equipment for the operating theatre

The hospital was opened in 1963 by Dutch missionaries and doctors. In 1989 it was transferred to Methodist Church Nigeria when the Dutch decided to focus their work in Nigeria to other areas. It has been difficult for Methodist Church Nigeria to fund the hospital adequately so it has often been in crisis. However it is a much loved and much needed establishment in a remote part of the country.

This 120 bedded hospital treats and cares for patients with a wide variety of conditions including tuberculosis, diabetes, epilepsy, orthopaedics, HIV/AIDS. The hospital also has four peripheral clinics. The maternity and newborn service at the hospital is particularly valued by local people.

Coordinator and Trainers visit 2018

There has been real progress at Bethesda Hospital with Dr Joseph Onah, Medical Director, leading the clinical team and Very Revd Pius Ogirinye as the hard-working hospital administrator. Funding has been provided from the Muriel Frampton legacy for new equipment and a revolving drugs fund. Part of the maternity unit has been set aside for a neonatal unit where some of this equipment will be brought into use in the near future. Training has been extended to include staff from Obi Local Government Area so, by 2020, we hope that every health facility that delivers babies in Igede (Oju and Obi) will have at least one member of staff trained in newborn resuscitation and care.

Foundations for the classroom block, lab and sick bay for student nurses

The premises were originally intended for a circuit cathedral, but the need for medical facilities was deemed to be the greater priority and so we were given the large partially built premises to complete as a hospital. Due to the enthusiasm of the then Bishop of Uzuakoli, the Rt. Revd Chris Ede, the dedication and skill of a Dutch doctor, Hans van den Corput, and the skilled and experienced administrator, Chief Paul Okorie, who was Chair of the Management Committee, this hospital, which was opened in August 2002, has grown beyond our wildest dreams.

The hospital is highly regarded throughout eastern Nigeria and beyond, particularly because of the surgical skills and dedication of Dr Hans. Closer links have been made with the Federal Medical Centre at Umuahia (the teaching hospital for the area) with doctors seconded from there to work at Royal Cross. HIV and TB services are supported by, and integrated with, the Abia State health authorities. NHCP no longer supports Royal Cross and its sister hospitals financially, because they are self-sufficient, but is actively involved in training staff.

Coordinator’s Visit 2018

Deaconess Ronke Oworu, Very Revd Eziuku (MCN Estates Manager) and Dr David Cundall paid a brief visit to Royal Cross and were delighted to see the progress made on buildings for the proposed School of Nursing and Midwifery. Very Revd Victor Obgonna is working hard to realise this dream, which is mainly funded by the work of Dr Hans Corput. NHCP have contributed substantial funds from the Muriel Frampton legacy for these buildings.

Nkechi Colwill Hospital

This general hospital on the Uzuakoli Methodist campus is steadily developing as the old buildings are refurbished and brought back into use. Dr Hans spends two days per week here and there is a resident Nigerian doctor. During the 2017 visit we were able to train new staff at the hospital as well as offer refresher training to people we have trained before. Very Revd Christian Chukwu is managing the hospital well. He and Dr Hans Corput and colleagues are rapidly developing the services there. The hospital hosted a one-day workshop for local NHCP training coordinators at the beginning of March 2018.

Beautiful Gate Methodist Hospital, Ozuitem, Uzuakoli, Abia State

This small hospital, which started in 2007, has support from a local benefactor but is struggling to develop its services due to the lack of a resident doctor. When trustees visited in 2017, a new, three-bedroomed doctor’s house was almost complete. A new doctor is now resident at Beautiful Gate and the services are improving

New doctor's house at Beautiful Gate Hospital, Ozuitem(Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Chijioke Osogho Memorial Hospital, Item, Item Diocese, Abia State

Also in Abia State, this hospital was built, equipped and donated to Methodist Church Nigeria, by Sir (Chief) Ndukwe Osogho Ajala a native of Item, in memory of his sister, who died from Sickle Cell Anaemia. It is an 18 bedded hospital with a modern surgical theatre, labour room, pharmacy, medical laboratory, scanning and ECG machines and generator. This is the only hospital which serves the nine villages of Item.

The new staff quarters at Item(Click on a picture to enlarge it.)

Coordinators Visit 2018

The team at Item, led by Revd Onuoha, Dr Nwachukwu, Sister Precious and Bishop Eze, are improving the services offered by this hospital to the Item area. Dr Nwachukwu is an obstetrician and gynaecologist and he is able to offer a range of surgical procedures. His salary is supported by the Nationals in Mission Appointment scheme of the Methodist Church in Britain. Item Diocese hosted the NHCP neonatal resuscitation and care training in 2018.

Methodist Hospital Ogoli Ugboju, Apa Diocese, Benue State

This was originally opened as a clinic in the 1970’s when the late Grace Mortimer worked there as a midwife. It was drawn to our attention in the year 2000, in a very sad state of repair, without any trained medical staff, either nurses or doctor.

We were asked to provide funds to repair the premises, provide equipment, drugs etc. to allow them to appoint trained medical staff.

It was almost three years before we were able to make any financial contribution, but the trust they had in us to support them gave hope, encouraged the people to make repairs to the premises and look at ways they could improve the situation themselves.

With funds much has been achieved, not least a new vision and enthusiasm.

The hospital has started to improve its water supply and develop an income-generating water sachet scheme, funded by the Muriel Frampton Legacy.

The hospital has started to improve its water supply and develop an income-generating water sachet scheme, funded by the Muriel Frampton Legacy.

Trustees Visit 2017

This small hospital continues to make steady progress. When Trustees visited in February 2017, we had the usual enthusiastic welcome from the Women’s Fellowship and the children of the local primary school. Bishop Peter Ikwulono provides steady leadership and the ultrasound machine is well-used. We know the welfare officer, Revd Johnson Adeno, from his time at Agboke. There are good links with the local government health services and active support from Dr Ella, a consultant from Abuja who comes from this area. On this visit we brought a refurbished microscope to improve the laboratory facilities.

The Health Centre honours the life and vision of Dr Andrew Pearson who worked at Ilesa Hospital and then at Igbo-Ora. It is in the market of this bustling town whose population are in need of health promotion and treatment.

Coordinator’s Visit 2018

A new Medical Board is now in place at Igbo-Ora. Both the Chair and the Secretary are recently-retired doctors who were themselves taught by Dr Andrew Pearson. They are very keen to see the centre thrive again for the benefit of the local people. We hope that a grant from the Muriel Frampton legacy and a large donation from the family of Revd Geoffrey and Mrs Barbara Todd will help to get the Centre functioning well.

Damishi serves a rural community not far from Kaduna city. Galadima is further away from the city, in the direction of the Jos Plateau. We have not been able to visit Damishi or Galadima since 2010 due to insecurity in Northern Nigeria. Both health centres are in South Kaduna state where there has been a recent increase in violence between the Fulani (whose traditional way of life is to keep and herd cattle) and the settled population.

Trustees Visit 2017

We met with Archbishop Idoko in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, to discuss the situation of both health centres. Staff at both Damishi and Galadima are insecure due to the threat of violence in the area so there is an urgent need to provide security fencing and on-site housing. Laboratory facilities also need upgrading. These two health centres rely very heavily on financial support from NHCP. They are places where Christians witness to the love of Christ to anyone seeking help, whatever their ethnic group or religious background.

Esther Yakubu, the nurse midwife from Galadima, was able to make the long journey around the conflict area to join us a a training facilitator at Bethesda Hospital in 2017.

Funds from the Muriel Frampton Legacy will be used to provide staff quarters, refurbish the premises and improve the laboratory at Galadima.

Mental Health Projects

The primary work of the centre was founded in 1990, by Ros Colwill, OBE, who has been a mission partner in Nigeria for many years and retired in 2016. The model of care developed at Amaudo was the first of its kind in Africa and continues as a beacon of good practice in the rehabilitation of people with mental illness.

Amaudo continues to do well under the leadership of the Revd Kenneth Nwaubani.

Amaudo consists of Amaudo Okopedi, the community centre, which is home to up to 65 homeless mentally ill adults. The aim is to rehabilitate the person back to their family and community. Amaudo Ntalakwu is a smaller community for residents who are unable to be rehabilitated home for one reason or another. Some live independently and others, for example with learning difficulties have more intensive support. Project Comfort is a community-based service for disabled children and young people, which now extends to three government areas. The Community Mental Health Programme (CMHP) has been implemented across five Nigerian States and continues to expand. There are now no fewer than 73 clinics operating in these five states with over 5000 patients receiving care. Community Psychiatric Nurses are trained to provide community care by clinics and home visits. The Community Mental Health Awareness Programme is closely affiliated to CMHP and trains village health workers in mental health awareness and human rights issues. The volunteers work closely with the psychiatric nurses. Amaudo celebrated its 25th anniversary in November 2014. A special appeal has been launched to refurbish each building (approx. £2700 per house). A special appeal was launched to refurbish each building and NHCP was able to respond to rehabilitate one building, with £3000 from the Arthur Wray bequest.

Amaudo also includes ‘Project Comfort’ which works with over 300 disabled children and their families in three local government areas, using a community-based model of care. NHCP ran training days with Project Comfort Staff in 2014 and 2017.

The Nigeria Health Care Project provided funds to build and equip this Centre, which is based on the ‘Amaudo’ model, although from the outset greater emphasis was placed on treatment in the community. The Very Revd John Angwa has provided inspirational leadership at Edawu for over 15 years.

The oil-palm plantation, the seedlings for which were funded by a UK family, continues to grow. Poultry and goat-breeding projects are also generating income for the centre.The clinics in the surrounding area have large numbers of people attending, including many with epilepsy as well as those with psychiatric problems.

The Very Reverend John Angwa was delighted to receive sufficient funds from NHCP from the Arthur Wray bequest to enable Edawu to purchase a second-hand Toyota Sienna in good condition. This will be invaluable in the work of the centre for transporting patients and in outreach work.

Coordinator’s Visit 2018

A brief visit was made to see the centre in March 2018. Grants from the Muriel Frampton Legacy have subsequently been made and Trustees were delighted to see pictures of an electricity transformer being installed on July 4th 2018. The centre will now have power from the national grid. An income-generating piggery will also be started soon.

Very Revd John Angwa & Bishop Jaja Kantiyok with Edawu vehicle

The church at Edawu, built with funds from the World Church Office of the Methodist Church in the UK. The church is central to the work of Edawu, but it is also the circuit church for the surrounding area

This centre originated when the then Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Revd Sunday Idoko saw that there were many mentally ill homeless people in and around Otukpo. There were no facilities for their treatment and so he set about establishing such provision in the redundant and derelict premises of the former Methodist High School. An initial grant was made by the World Church Office of £10,000 and subsequent annual grants by the Nigeria Health Care Project. It opened officially in May 2004. There has also been considerable support from the local community and Churches. NHCP is actively looking for a UK NHS mental health Trust who may be willing to partner with Agboke.

During the 2014 visit we were privileged to meet four residents who were being discharged home after successful rehabilitation. The CBM/Australian Aid expansion of mental health services in Benue State continues to work closely with Agboke. During 2013 they were able to start work on a new clinic building. Archbishop Abah, the new Archbishop of Otukpo, takes a close interest in the centre and has proposed to the local community that a Methodist High School is built nearby.

Team Visit 2018

In March 2018, Deaconess Ronke Oworu, Health Secretary of Methodist Church Nigeria and a registered psychiatric nurse, Very Revd John Angwa, Welfare Officer from Edawu, Dr Stephanie Govenden, Consultant Community Paediatrician from NHS Highland and an NHCP training facilitator and Dr David Cundall, NHCP Coordinator visited Agboke for two days. We were hosted by Most Revd Oliver Aba, Archbishop of Benue and Very Revd David Onoja, Welfare Officer at Agboke. The aim of the visit was to look in more depth at the challenges facing Agboke and see how best NHCP and other agencies might be able to help.

We were encouraged by the interest taken by the local traditional ruler, the King of Ohimini.

It was clear that the two main difficulties facing the centre - water and electricity supplies - were problems shared with the local community. We met Esther, the registered nurse and Jonah, a psychiatric nurse who are both working hard to meet the needs of a large number of outpatients and a small number of inpatients.

Orphan Care

Motherless Babies Home, Uzuakoli, Uzuakoli Diocese, Abia State

Mary Corput and baby

It is a sad fact that many women still die in childbirth in Nigeria, and of course, some children are orphaned for other reasons. The Motherless Babies Home continues to do good work in providing care and there have been considerable improvements in the buildings and facilities since our last visit. The home is run by Mary van den Corput, the wife of Dr van den Corput and is in the grounds of the Uzuakoli Leprosy Centre.

Trustees Visit 2017

We were pleased to see most of the boundary wall in place, funded by money from the Arthur Wray legacy. There are less children at the home as more have been found permanent homes and less have been admitted. Most of the children now attend ‘school’ in a neighbouring building which provides more variety and stimulation for them. The Motherless Babies Home has a very good reputation within the area but there is a need to review its role and function.

Bethesda “Community-Based Orphan Care” aims to ensure that babies are returned to their local communities within six weeks, accompanied by a carer from their own family, often a grandmother or aunt. The project supports the care of the babies for the first two years of life, with food supplies and regular visits to check on their progress. This approach to orphan care has beneficial consequences for the emotional lives of the children and their acceptance back into their own communities. One of the biggest expenses is the provision of formula milk.

The orphanage now has more buildings than it needs and is considering income-generating options for the future. Felicia Ibu, Director, leads the work very well and is keen to help others learn about community-based orphan care. Bethesda celebrated 50 years of proving care for orphans in March 2013.

During the 2015 Training of Trainers visit, we were able to see the girls’ high school which has started with two years’ of students being taught and accommodated in some of the buildings that were previously used by the orphanage.

Girls' High School at bethesda Orphanage site

Coordinators Visit 2018

The orphan care programme has been drastically reduced in the services it can offer due to the withdrawal of funding by its main international donor. NHCP has increased funding to help keep the service going. Funds from the Muriel Frampton legacy will fund a water-sachet scheme to help them generate income locally.

Leprosy Care & Community-Based Rehabilitation

Leprosy Centre, Uzuakoli, Abia State

Eddy, who was disabled by polio and now works as a vehicle upholsterer, talking with David Cundall

(Click on a picture to enlarge it.)

Training of Health Workers

College of Health Technology, Ebenta, Igede Diocese, Benue State

Very Revd Dr Janet Daramola (centre) and the inspection team March 2018

The microscopes in use in the biology lab

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Many of the smaller hospitals and health centres that we support are staffed by community health workers, who are trained in Colleges of Health Technology. The College at Ebenta is therefore doing a vital job.

The College at Ebenta was doing a vital job but has struggled in the last few years. The main issue has been difficulties getting accredited, but also having buildings to maintain on two sites. Donations of computers and a college bus, two items on the long list of criteria for accreditation, have been made by Methodist Church Nigeria. Lecturers from the College have taken part in the training programmes in neonatal resucitation and care held at the nearby Bethesda Hospital.

Visit by Very Revd Dr Janet Daramola March 2018

Rt Revd JaJa Kantiyok, Bishop of Igede, was delighted to host Very Revd Dr Janet Daramola who was, until she retired, very closely involved with accreditation of Schools/Colleges of Health Technology in Nigeria. She visited the College with Bishop Jaja, the Health Secretary of Methodist Church Nigeria, Deaconess Ronke Oworu, Dr Somi Idowu and Dr David Cundall.

After a detailed inspection, with a mixture of constructive criticism and enthusiastic encouragement, Janet was very positive about the prospects of the College being accredited before the end of 2018. The acting Provost, Pastor Freedom Ojenya has made big improvements during the previous year with much improved staff and student morale.

Proposed School of Nursing and Midwifery at Royal Cross Hospital, Ugwueke

Royal Cross Hospital has taken students from other nursing schools for some years. There are plans to develop their own school of nursing and midwifery.

There has been a big step forward in that specialists from the Federal Medical Centre at Umuahia are now visiting Royal Cross. The presence of consultants is one of the pre-conditions for the establishment of a school of nursing and midwifery.

Some more progress has been made with the building of a nurses hostel at the Ugwueke site. Uzuakoli Diocese now oversees three hospitals (Royal Cross, Nkechi Colwill and Beautiful Gate). Chijioke Osogho Memorial Hospital at Item is within the same local government area so there is potential for all four of these small hospitals to be part of a training institution.

There have been major developments in 2017/18. The hostel for nursing students is almost complete and there is rapid progress building a classroom block, laboratory, sick bay and water treatment plant. NHCP has allocated money from the Muriel Frampton Legacy to help complete this work.

NHCP have been providing training, and training trainers in newborn resuscitation and care during brief visits for the past 7 years. Our most recent visit involved one week in Abia State and one week in Benue State (see training report).

Training in Bende LGA was hosted this time by the team from Chijioke Osogho Memorial Methodist Hospital, Item at the local Diocesan hall. A total of 44 people were trained. Two more local training coordinators were recognised in Abia, Sister Precious from Chijioke Osogho Memorial Hospital, Item and Mrs Nnenna Norman from Bende LGA.

Pictures:

Left: Training of Trainers at Bethesda Hospital
Even a goat wanted to learn at Ekiti

Below:

(Left) Small group training with Somi Idowu at Bethesda Hospital 2018 (Right) Participants at a training session in Oju LGA, led by local training coordinators

Training at Bethesda Hospital included, for the first time, staff from Obi LGA as well as Oju LGA. 28 people were trained. Three coordinators were identified for Obi LGA: Linda Ijoko U, Macallina Ogbodo and Alice Ominyi and one new coordinator for Oju: Inakwu Jane.

Local training coordinators are able to run additional training sessions at other times of the year (except in the middle of the rainy season) with the help of additional funding from NHCP.

The Federal Ministry of Health has adapted ‘Helping Babies Breathe’ (HBB2) for use in Nigeria as part of Essential Newborn Care training. HBB2 is similar to NHCP training in newborn resuscitation. In February 2018, Dr David Cundall was trained as a ‘Master Trainer’ for HBB2 at a course in Bristol,UK and we plan to use HBB2 in our future training.

Project Comfort at Amaudo

Each year for the past three years it has been a privilege to spend short amounts of time with Project Comfort team at Amaudo. They provide support and rehabilitation to over 300 disabled children and their families in three local government areas of Abia State. In 2012, David Cundall worked with the team by reviewing individual children and discussing key issued in their care. In 2013 we looked at ‘family-centred care’ during a two-day workshop. In 2014, Drs Stephanie Govenden and David Cundall led sessions on topics chosen by the workers.

In February 2017, Dr Stephanie Govenden and Dr Chakra Vasudevan, spent a day of case-based teaching with Project Comfort staff.